The Lakers Should 100% Bring Back LeBron James

The Los Angeles Lakers should make absolutely sure that LeBron James does not walk out the door.

Rich made the case clean on the show.

"The Lakers should 100 percent make sure he doesn't go anywhere," Rich said. "And you got to wonder if the new owners along with Jeanie Buss still part of this understands. You're Los Angeles Lakers. You don't let somebody like LeBron James walk out the door, and you team him up with Luka Doncic."

The Lakers' offseason is stacked with other questions, in Rich's framing. Austin Reaves is a free agent. Rui Hachimura is a free agent. Jackson Hayes balled out. Luke Kennard. Maxi Kleber and Deandre Ayton hold player options.

The Ayton call is the easy one.

"If Deandre Ayton wishes to use his, I don't know if they're going to be doing anything but calling an Uber for him, to be honest," Rich said.

The overall point holds.

"There are some players that the Lakers are going to have to figure out how to get back in," Rich said. "But it starts there. The Lakers should make sure LeBron does not walk out that door."

Rich tried to think through LeBron's pro-and-con list.

"You make a list of do I stay or do I go?" Rich said. "The staying is, you live in Southern California. I'm assuming LeBron has some nice digs. Great wine cellar. He just started golfing year round. He's got the life."

He landed on the move-where-you-want piece.

"You could find anywhere you want to live if you're LeBron James," Rich said. "I kind of think he kind of likes where he's situated. You're playing for the Los Angeles Lakers if that means anything to him anymore. And Bronny's not going to go anywhere. Those are the positives."

The case for leaving runs into one wall.

"Wherever you're going doesn't have Luka," Rich said.

The alternative-team conversation kept narrowing.

"Do you want to go home again in Cleveland?" Rich said. "Where you finish where you started, you're back home again, you bring another championship to the land, and you go off into the sunset. That's a hell of a strong case."

The list of teams that could actually win it shrunk fast.

"The Heat. I don't know if they're close," Rich said. "Atlanta. Boston, he's not walking through the door in Boston. Detroit, right? Would he go to Detroit?"

The compensation math is the other variable.

"Will the Lakers actually, will he give anybody a hometown discount?" Rich said. "There's a lot of moving parts here, but the parts began to move last night. I think he stays, but what do I know? I have no earthly idea. I just think he stays. I just think the Lakers would be nuts to let him walk out the door."